Front Page Headlines
Joint protocol and ‘domestic package’
Prime Minister Tufan Erhürman spoke to Yenidüzen on latest developments. “According to the information given by my undersecretary, Turkey will be completing technical work on the protocol by the beginning of next week and will be sending it to us. We aim to sign the protocol in May following final talks at the political level.”
- Cyprus’ joint May 1 event: Peace, labour and freedom – Joint Labour Day event held in UN buffer zone.
- ‘We can’t suspend our EU citizenship’ – Dr Niyazi Kızılyürek continues his election campaign
[They] Come here for work, return in a coffin
Hundreds of workers who come to the country to earn a living keep quiet against labour exploitation and working in dangerous environments due to not knowing their labour rights and being foreigners in the country.
- Labour, peace, freedom – Bicommunal event held in the buffer zone to mark 1 May Labour Day. Peace messages were given during the event.
- A nursing home is necessary for mentally ill – Hatice Jenkins, head of the Association of Elderly Rights & Mental Health, highlighted the need for such facilities.
Joint demand: solution
Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots gathered at Taksim Football Field to celebrate 1 May. Representatives of trade unions urged the two leaders to resume the talks and reunify Cyprus.
- Governments have no vision and are unskilled – Traffic engineer Taner Aksu, who is also the honorary president of the Road Safety Association, harshly criticized government policy and practice on traffic and road safety.
Situation serious
Mukhtar of Haspolat (Mia Milia) Asım Egemen warns authorities that 35 workers share one house, noting the threat of an outbreak of disease. He also says that sewage is running from taps and that authorities should take precautions.
- We paid the price – FM Özersay says the error of the decision to allow Greek Cypriots to join the (EU) bloc unilaterally 15 years ago has become clearer now.
- Tourists filled the streets – While the streets of Nicosia were empty on Labour Day, the only place where there was life was the area around Arasta (near Ledra Street crossing).
Is there a household which death hasn’t visited?
Turkish Cypriot Taner Aksu who worked as a professional traffic and civil engineer in the US for 45 years says that the situation is worse every time he visits Cyprus. Aksu says that traffic safety has never been the priority of past or present governments or parliament.
- Bicommunal celebration: “Afrika newspaper is not alone” – Numerous organisations and trade unions from both sides celebrated Labour Day together in the buffer zone on Wednesday. They chanted slogans in support of Afrika newspaper.
Main News
Özersay says TCs continue to pay the price of non-solution
Diyalog, Afrika
Negotiations Process, EU matters
OVERVIEW
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kudret Özersay said on Wednesday that the effects of the wrongful decision taken by the EU 15 years ago to admit Greek Cypriots into the EU before a settlement could be seen clearly today.
Özersay argued that Turkish Cypriots have been paying the price of the EU’s wrongful act for the past 15 years.
He said the decision to allow Greek Cypriots to join the bloc in the absence of a settlement and despite their efforts to prevent a solution only pushed a settlement further away.
“This lack of vision also expanded and secured the Greek Cypriots’ comfort zone. Having secured what they wanted before a settlement was reached allowed them to launch a mission the day after EU membership to delay or prevent Turkish Cypriots on all matters,” Özersay said.
He also said that even though Turkish Cypriots were victims of this wrongful decision, it did not change the fact that they are Europeans.
This does not mean, Özersay added, that Turkish Cypriots will not give up their struggle on the basis of modern values to develop their secular and democratic state.
He concluded that any EU member countries that cared about the bloc’s reputation and credibility should take steps to remove this injustice.
KEY ACTOR
Özersay (HP)
>> TCs paying the price of EU’s wrongful decision to let GCs into EU before a solution for the past 15 years.
>> EU’s decision has pushed sides further away from a solution & expanded GCs comfort zone.
>> EU’s decision does not change fact TCs are Europeans who will continue their struggle on the basis of modern values to develop their secular and democratic state.
>> EU member states that care about bloc’s reputation & credibility should take steps to correct this injustice.
Erhürman says economic protocol to be signed in coming days
Yenidüzen
Economy
OVERVIEW
Prime Minister Tufan Erhürman said that the new economic protocol to be signed with Turkey will be ready in the coming days.
In an interview with Yenidüzen, Erhürman said that, contrary to claims by the opposition, relations with Turkey were good and there were no other reasons for the delay in signing the protocol.
Erhürman also said there were no problems with the coalition government and that the priority of the four parties at the moment was to find ways to reduce state expenditure and raise revenues.
He said the government was preparing its own domestic economic package.
Erhürman also criticised the opposition, inviting it to share its views as to how it would solve the current problems if it came to office.
Asked on new crossing points, Erhürman said such an issue was a matter for the two leaders.
Regarding the problem of long queues of tourists at the Lokmacı (Ledra) crossing point, Erhürman said they were aware of the problem and were seeking ways to address the issue.
There was a shortage of staff, he said, adding that it was not an easy process to hire new public servants to do the job.
The newly opened crossing points had also contributed to the staff shortages, he said.
On the new citizenship law, Erhürman said that his party and the Peoples’ Party had examined and discussed the draft and were now waiting for the final draft.
The aim was to pass the new law, which changes criteria for citizenship, before the end of the year, he said.
KEY ACTOR
Erhürman (CTP)
>> Contrary to opposition’s claims, relations with Turkey are good.
>> New crossing points are a matter for the two leaders.
Joint demand: solution
Havadis, Kıbrıs, Afrika, Yenidüzen, Diyalog
Economy, Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
Hundreds of Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots gathered at the Taksim Football Field located in the buffer zone in Nicosia on Wednesday to celebrate 1 May Labour Day. Representatives of trade unions urged the two leaders to resume the talks and to reunify Cyprus. Hundreds of Turkish students also attended the event from the north and participants chanted “Long Live 1 May” slogans in Turkish, Greek and Kurdish.
DEV-İŞ (Federation of Revolutionary Workers’ Unions) President Hasan Felek and PEO (Pancyprian Federation of Labour) Pambis Kyritsis read out a joint declaration in Turkish and Greek highlighting that labour exploitation by imperialists was the same all over the world.
Both Felek and Kyritsis urged the workers to unite and join forces. They also urged the two leaders to resume the Cyprus talks from where they left off, on the basis of past convergences and the Guterres framework, to reach the desired solution on Cyprus.
The trade unions emphasized that they remain loyal to a bicommunal, bizonal federal solution model for Cyprus as stated in relevant UN resolutions and which is based on the political equality of the two communities, ensures single sovereignty, single international personality and single citizenship.
The celebrations for 1 May were held under the theme of “Joint struggle for rights of labourers, peace and reunification”.
In a related story, Diyalog newspaper reports that due to the closure of all shops in the north, the streets were left empty while the Nicosia Old Town retailers enjoyed business from tourists.